UTStarcom PPC-6700 / XV-6700 / HTC Apache
Average Ratings
Best Phone on the Market
It is sad that consumers on this website have only rated this phone as a 3.66 (at the time I wrote this). This is by far the best phone out on the market right now. It blows the Treo 700p and Motorola Q right out of the water. Some people complain about how they can't see the screen in the sunlight....boxwave sells anti-glare screen protectors for $11. I don't have a problem seeing this phone at all as long as the back light is on. There are so many more modifications that can be applied to this phone as opposed to the 700p that I expect the people who rated this phone as low just weren't competent enough to figure the phone out.
Compared to the Treo 700p:
**Comes with twice as much shared memory to start with ---128 mb for the ppc and 60 for the 700p.
**Comes loaded with the complete Microsoft Office Suite making this phone a lot easier to operate than one that runs on the palm OS.
**If you are a Sprint customer, the phone operates on the Dual-Band Tri Mode network, which gives much better reception everywhere as opposed to the Digital Dual Band frequency that the 700p works on.
** The slideout keyboard keys are much larger than the tiny ones that the 700p holds which makes it much quicker for texting or typing long sentences.
**This phone is Wi-fi enabled, the Treo 700p is not.
I could go on and on all day about how much better this phone is than every other one on the market. And don't even get me started on the Motorola Q....it's a Motorola...which produces notoriously horrible cell phone products (bluetooths and handsets)...enough said.
I actually work in the cell phone industry. I could have any cell phone I want, and after carefully considering all my options and trying the phone out, it was a no brainer to take the ppc 6700.
Some Unbeatable Features, but BEWARE of others!
I've been using the phone for just under a week now. These are the things good and bad that I've learned.
Pros:
1. Not too bulky. Smaller than it looks in pictures.
2. Task manager on main screen. Upcoming appointments on main screen starting the day prior to the appoinment. These features have helped me remeber many appoint.s and "to-do" items that I otherwise would have forgotten.
3. Surf anywhere on the web. Haven't run into a page that I couldn't view.
4. Excellent program for taking notes - very easy to use.
5. Navigating menus is a easy, once you learn the shortcuts. At 1st it was very frustrating using the stylus for everything. Then, I forced myself to learn every funct. on the phone w/o use of the stylus, & BAM! - Moving much faster.
6. Can download videos and other types of files from the internet easily and quickly.
Cons:
1. Screen - VERY HARD TO SEE IN SUNLIGHT! The color fades and the glare is awful.
2. Keyboard - VERY HARD TO SEE IN THE DARK. The letters themselves are dark blue backlit, & so-so. The real trouble is with the symb.s & punct. (ie:.,@!) They are shown in dark red that is NOT BACKLIT! Nearly impossible to type in the dark.
3. Combine 1. & 2. - You have to be in just the right light!
4. Text messaging do not store in "chat" style view, & sent items icon doesn't work. No way to reference what I sent someone.
5. Not all shorcuts work.
6. Turns itself on at random times w/ strange error messages, running down the battery - requires reboot.
7. Maps from the internet are compressed for file size, but therefore rendered USELESS! If you NEED to look at MAPS all the time - THIS WILL NOT DO! - You can always get directions just fine, but I like the visualtion of a map.
8. Speakerphone weak.
The pros are GREAT! - But the cons may have me returning this unit before the week is out.
Best phone in the history of man
As an assistant manager of the nations largest wireless retailer, I see a lot of phones. The PPC-6700 the best phone I have ever seen, by far.
I used to carry around my Palm Zire 31, and my Sanyo 7400 but I've been able to consolidate those 2 devices and have the same functionality, as well as some added ones.
Pros
A lot of people complain about the battery life on this phone, but it really isn't too big of a deal. I use the phone all day every day, and the batter lasts me just fine. I come home every night and charge it. No big deal to slide it into the cradle.
The bluetooth works fantastic. I currently use it with the Motorola H500 (they both use USB to charge) and it works great.
WiFi Connectivity is awesome, if I'm in an area without digital coverage, it's nice to have the WiFi option.
The internet connection isn't slow at all, as some people have complained. It's been performing to it's 2.0 mbit spec so far.
Multimedia features are awesome, video and mp3 playback is better then expected.
The camera is awesome, 1.3 megapixels of pure beauty. Looks great on the screen too.
Cons.
I have very few complaints on the phone, other then the custom ring tones being limited to WMA, WAV and MIDI format. Not a big deal to find an mp3 to WMA converter on Google. The cradle is a bit stiff as well, though I'm sure it will loosen up with time.
Having been working with wireless phones for a while now, this one beats out the Treo 650 because of its screen and keyboard size. Who can use those tiny keys on the treo anyway? It's relative size to the Treo isn't a significant increase either. I've used the Treo, the Samsung SCH-i730 as well as a handfull of other PDA phones, and this one takes the cake. It's a perfect blend of benefits and features. I can't think of anything else to add to it.
I've seen a few complaints about the physical size of it. Well, it's the same size of a palm and a Sprint clamshell phone. And, just a tad thicker then an iPod.
AMAZING!!!! ENOUGH SAID!!!
I honestly didnt find anything wrong from what everyone else said when they got there's right away, so that makes me think that the issues have been fixed, I got the phone at 10am today, it was fully charged, I used it alot!! For music, internet, games, calls of course, and I was at only 50% by the end of today, and the end of the day for me is 530am... It's amazing, got lost in chicago, went to mapquest, used EVDO got a map and got to the restuarant... Amazing phone!!!!!!!!! I honestly dont see any issues as of yet, I really dont... Everything is working 100% amazing!!!!!!!! Have a good one y'all Adios!!
A Near-Perfect Device, This One is a Treo-Beater
Finally a Mobile phone for the Mobile user. All features are well encompassed into this small package. The PPC-6700 should deliver all you expect when on the road including clear phone calls. Itâs been 3 days of testing the powerful wireless features on the new PPC-6700. After 5 months with my inseparable CDMA Treo 650, Iâve finally swapped phones and activated this new Smart Device. The touch-screen and Windows Mobile 5 have integrated a tight package â very Palm-like. With virtually identical size and weight as the Treo 650, it feels lighter and is easier to carry â not as slippery. Gorgeous, crisp, clear screen.
FAVORABLE: Unbelievably easy setup for Wi-Fi - 1 minute; Cellular Activation â 3 minutes; EV-DO â 1 minutes. For you folks with corporate Exchange Server 2003, my setup with Outlook ActiveSync was a breeze, done in 4 minutes. Imagine uploading all your emails and hundreds of contacts with high-speed Internet! Connection to our SSID wireless office was seamless. Bluetooth works great â headset has auto-pickup in 1 ring, Look - no wires! Sync to PC with a separate Bluetooth adapter (for the desktop) works great. Qwerty keyboard is much better to use than the Treo 650 and is actually USABLE for us with big hands and fingers. Internet browsing and viewing emails in landscape are very comfortable.
QUESTIONABLE: battery life maybe limited. If Wi-Fi is turned off, increases substantially. Turn on Wi-Fi to sync email and browse the Internet for a few minutes, then off again. This, at least someone starts carrying these batteries. Sliding mechanism of Qwerty keyboard doesn't feel rock-solid. Lack of immediate keyboard (Treo) will take some getting use to for quickly finding contacts.
For all its connectivity traits, I rate the PPC-4700 at 4.5 stars version my Treo 650 for 4 stars. And the Treo is very hard to beat.
The Good The Bad...
Loved the phone at first, but I'm thinking about switching.
PROS Seemingly has better reception than previous phone.
Mini SD gives you plenty of room for music, video etc.
PC Sync is very handy and easy to use.
CONS Applying music as ringtones severely delays calls registering and makes you miss a lot of calls
WiFi is nice but a lot sites appear distorted.
Battery Life. If you use your phone all day like me you're going to need a charger for work and the car.
So-so device
Here's the rundown from my perspective --
-ActiveSync with Exchange: it's ok, but it either works or it doesn't, there is very little troubleshooting that can be done; it's NOT a blackberry. There is no level 1 messaging like on the berry. No synch controls, it's all or nothing. The "push" works most of the time, but frequently its stops "pushing". Again, nothing can be done as there is no middle server controlling everyting.
-Hardware itself: the devices feels a bit cheap; paint looks cheap. Somewhat slow to respond to commands. Battery is not that that great. Screen is difficult to read in sunlight.
-Software: The software is NOT tied that well to the hardware. For example, when the device synchs, it's lights up and unlocks the screen. If it's in your pocket get ready for lost of un-intended calls as the thing makes calls...keys are not locked. If you put a password on it, it stops this, but is not smart enough to unlock it while on a call. So, if on a call, you'll have to enter the password to even so much as end a call, or take a call waiting. Really pathetic here.
-Contacts: Awful! Sorts only by last name (cannot be changed); filters must be selected every time you enter contacts (example is personal and business, you must select either or every time you enter the contacts screen or will have to view the entire list). Pressing the phone button on a contact does not dial the contact, just launches the phone app.
-Keyboard integration: Not good. The on-screen keyboard comes up all of the time, even though you're using the built-in keyboard.
Overall, this device is not ready for prime time and needs a LOT of refinement. I wouldn't give this to an average user, only the "geekiest" tech guy can make it work...I know, I'm one of them. An executive would toss this thing out the first day. It is way over priced as well...$650!
Stay away from this device as it is really not the time and frustration. If you want email, get a blackberry 8700.
Went back to the Treo 650
It may seem strange that I gave this phone a 4 but returned it and went back to my old phone, but this is because I figured if I am going to purchase a new phone, it does not need to be perfect (no phones are), but it needs to at least fufill the basic needs of the person shelling out the $$. Having said that, here is my review:
PROS
1. Great Keyboard
2. More memory than treo 650 (which the only reason I even considered changing phones in the first place)
3. Worked well with my UConnect (car), Plantronics 2500 and Jabra 5000
4. EVDO - Excellent!
5. Worked also at blazing speed with my WiFi connection at home (Bellsouth DSL wireless)
6. Once I upgraded to ActiveSync 4.1, worked well with Outlook
7. Even though WinMob 5.0 is fairly new, was able to get comparable versions of most of the software I had used on Treo, and for those I wasn't able to find, there was StyleTap to fill in the gap
CONS
1. Absolutely cannot see the screen when outside, even on semi cloudy day
2. The ALT function keys do not light up, so if you are in low light and are trying to text (like in a meeting), it is very difficult
3. This phone is geared for business persons on the go- right? The crippled version of MSN mobile will not let you view the attachments that come with hotmail emails (major negative). Contacted MSN mobile and they said they currently do not support this and could not give a date when this would be addressed. Don't business people need to get their email (with attachments) so they can deal with them on the fly?
4. Speakerphone. This is no joke - The speakerphone is worthless, and it can't be, for something this expensive. Speakerphone is an essential tool.
5. Voice command. Can't hear the prompts because the headset and speakerphone volumes are so low. ???? Again, neither Verizon or Microsoft said they though there was a problem, thus provided no answer to this problem.
I loved this phone for what it did well, but the shortcomings were deal-breakers.
Overall, 2 thumbs up!
Had this phone a week so this is somewhat preliminary. However I know people are looking for impressions so I hope this is helpful.
As a phone, with respect to signal strength and reception, it is far superior to the Treo 650 but not quite as good as the Moto E815.
Pros:
- Nice screen size, good resolution. Hard to see in the sunlight but then, all of them are.
- I like the Windows Smart Phone interface. Reasonably intuitive and easy to use if you are reasonably computer literate.
- Big slide out keyboard is superb, particularly when combined with the devices automatic sensing to change the screen to landscape mode. If you're a big texter/email user, you have to love this. Far superior to the Keyboard on the Treo.
- Activesync with Microsoft Exchange for Outlook email works very well!
- This phone seems very solid and well built.
- Easy to customize the phone settings, set up buttons, etc..
- While I think one hand navigation with the Treo is easier, with a minimal amount of practice, I've found it pretty reasonable with this device.
- Built in camera with flash is best I've seen in cell phone.
- Battery life good, not great but met expectations if not exceeded them.
- OS has been solid, no lock ups for me thus far
- Connection - finally, intelligent enough to make a solid, metal connector instead of the cheapie plastic ones!
- Bluetooth - bonded quickly and easily with my Jabra headset
- Wifi worked at the hotel this week. Quick and easy
Cons:
- Doesn't come with voice command software. You pay $400 for a high end phone and then have to spring for voice command software?
- I've read everywhere that Bluetooth HS multifunction button does not activate the voice command software.
- Speakerphone is next to useless.
- Limited in # of ringtones that are provided.
- A little sluggish when switching between apps. I'd expect if you had a lot of apps loaded/running, would be a problem. Main memory size should have been 2x.
Great Phone, but has small problems
I got this phone last Friday (11/25/2005). Since my wife made me go to Wal-Mart that morning, I figured she owed me :). Anyway, at first I was somewhat pleased. I have been waiting for Alltel to offer a phone like this for years. First impressions were:
Pros:
Great size
Awesome display
Functional keyboard
Very good camera
Bluetooth!
WiFi!
Great call quality
Cons:
Keyboard slide doesn't stay all the way shut - although this is a nuisance and not a signigicant issue.
Screen is great indoors, but in sunlight it suffers. (My Axim is much better)
I have used it fairly heavy for the last 3 days and have added some applications to it. I haven't had any major issues, and really like the phone. It was a breeze to get connections setup for WiFi at both offices, home, and anywhere else I have tried. The bluetooth works great (I have partnerships with my notebook, home pc and headset). The keyboard is very nice (still getting used to the special keys (.,?) layout). I like the auto-orientation change to landscape when the keyboard is extended. I have Outlook setup to check my business email, personal email, and hotmail.
The broadband access is nice. In my hometown, we only have 110kbps access, but close to me (where my wife likes to shop) has the EVDO coverage. I was in the mall and surfing at 700kbps speeds! I did some bandwidth testing to prove it. I then got a call from one of my 24hr tech support clients and was able to login to the server and correct the issue right then (saved me from getting the notebook out and heading to the nearest hotspot). Even my wife was impressed (and that takes alot). After 3 days, my impressions have stayed pretty much the same, but I have noticed one very irritating thing:
1. When dialing a number, the list of close matches comes up and covers up the entire keypad. I then have to minimize that so I can dial the rest of the number.
Although the battery life is getting better, I wish it would last 2-3 days. Overall Great Phone!
LJ
